For about two hours on Wednesday, commuters were invited to meet that well-dressed man, Metro-North’s new president, Joseph J. Giulietti, and other top officials to air grievances about the railroad.

There were many: unreliable schedules, long waits for trains through an unforgiving winter and, most significantly, concerns about the “deficient safety culture” described in a recent federal report. (The review was prompted by a derailment that killed four people last year, among other disasters.)

Max Maron, 15, from Stamford, Conn., asked why trains were considered on-time as long as they arrived under six minutes late, leaving him “standing on the platform and it’s freezing cold.”

“We’re not even making it in that six minutes,” Mr. Giulietti said, explaining that the accounting was part of a national standard. Metro-North’s on-time performance last year was its worst since the 1990s.

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Joseph J. Giulietti with commuters at Grand Central Terminal on Wednesday, where some even offered the new railroad president advice. “Not everyone walks away happy,” Mr. Giulietti said.CreditOzier Muhammad/The New York Times

Some chafed at Mr. Giulietti’s zealous focus on safety since assuming the job, arguing that while protecting riders was paramount, commuters deserved more.

“I get it, but he’s only doing part of his job,” Andrew Marra, 34, from Hawthorne, N.Y., said after his exchange. “You have to run an efficient railroad also.”

Mr. Giulietti has said that new schedules, to be released in May, will offer more reliable commute information. Some trip times may shrink, though many will be longer.

Other riders offered business cards, letters and folders, at times suggesting remedies that might improve their commutes, only to be told of railroad rules that would complicate the plans.

“Not everyone walks away happy,” Mr. Giulietti said.

The gathering — the first in a series of such forums to be held across the region in the coming weeks — also drew a handful of employees, approaching to wish Mr. Giulietti luck.

“You got a firm handshake,” Shine Williams, 41, a mechanical worker in North White Plains, told his new boss. “I know I’m in good hands.”

When Ms. Rende finally reached Mr. Giulietti, a short line greeted her. She wondered aloud if she could speak to him without missing her train.

Then she took a breath.

“The train will be late,” she said, sidling up to the president.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A26 of the New York edition with the headline: Now on Track 30 for a 2-Hour Listening Tour, Metro-North’s New President. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe